The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-09-15
S SUPPLIED ME N II.

was passed by the demands of both parties,
and while Governor Hoadly was in office it
was faithfully executed.
Large numbers of the convicts were COM
PEELED to remain Idle until such contracts as
were required by the law could be made.
There were also large and expensive i'm
provements made at the penitentiary of vari-
Gus kinds, and also considerable sums of
money expended in the purchase of ma
chinery in order to employ convicts in
manufacturing supplies for the state.
CONTRACT LABOR.
Under the present administration this law,
which was passed at the demands of
and in the interest of the laboring
men of Ohio, is disregarded, and con-
vict labor is now being contracted
for almost substantially as before the passage
of the law, and prison labor is again in di-
rect competition with the laboring men of
the State. Again the further fact confronts
US that the Treasury is now so drained that
even by all possible anticipation of taxes,
the State will be unable to meet its obliga-
tions and the result will be another increase
of the permanent bonded Indebtedness by
several hundred thousand dollars. 1t seems
that the prophecy made by Mr.. Brown upon
the floor of the House of Representatives has
been completely fulfilled and that the pres
ent Republican administration has not only
been more extravagant than its predecessors,
but the most recklessly extravagant admin
istration the State of Ohio has ever known.
TARIFF REFORM.
The resolution adopted by the Republican
convention upon the tariff is not only a re-
markable one, but it is at war even with the
history of their own party upon that subject.
They have never before declared in favor of
protective taxation without any limitation
whatever, and without it bearing any rela-
tion to the revenue required by the govern
ment. In all their National conventions
from 1860 to 1854, they in substance only
demanded such protection as might be af-
forded by a tariff which raised sufficient
revenue to meet all the expenses and neces-
sites of the government. At their last gen.
eral conventions they were compelled to ad-
nit that the present tariff was not only un-
just but unequal in its operations and that
therefore "the Republican party pledges
itselfto correct the inequalities of the tariff
and to reduce the surplus"
This was also the position taken by the
last Republican National administration, and
is well expressed in the report of Secretary
Folger of the Treasury, in which he says:
Eg A Al
necessary. The action of Congress in Great
ing commission for that purpose renders
discussion on that point unnecessary"
The inequality and injustice of the system
were still more clearly recognized by Presi-
dent Arthur in his annual message of Decem-
Der 1882, when he says that ''the present tariff
system is, in many respects, unjust. 1t makes
unequal distribution both of the burdens
and benefits This fact was practically
recognized by majority of each house of
Congress in the act creating the Tariff Com
mission" If general revision of the tariff
shall be found to be impracticable at this
session 1 express the hope that at least
some of the more conspicuous inequalities of
the present law may be corrected before your
final adjournment" The same position has
been taken and the same views expressed by
many of the leaders of the Republican party
throughout the country.
The recent Republican convention of this
State, however, not only favors the
CONTINUATION OF THESE WAR TAXES
in time of peace, with all their injustice and
inequalities, but the only change demanded
calls for an increase of taxation and its cores
ponding burdens. Such position can only
be accounted for upon the supposition that
their candidate for Governor must have been
the author of the resolution. He believes
that taxation is sure road to wealth and that
the higher you make the tariff the greater
will be the prosperity of the people. He al
SO believes that the system is an unmixed
blessing, that it has no burdens whatever.
That it increases the price of everything you
have to sell and cheapens the price of every
thing you are compelled to buy. His views
upon the subject will be found in an article
written by him and published in The Forum
of last month. In this paper entitled "The
Return of the Republican Party" he gives
us some remarkable statements; one is that
&c the old-time stock argument of the free
trader that tariff duties are a tar on tie CON-
Samer has 6<en so completely exploded by prac-
teal results that it is no longer heard of, ex-
cept only from those who obstinately refuse
to see the conclusive demonstrations to the
contrary that abound on every hand.'
Who does pay them he does not inform US.
He would confer great blessing upon the
voters of this State if, during this canvass,
he will undertake to explain how the taxes
upon the articles they consume are paid by
some one else.
Again he says that by virtue of the blessings
of the tariff duties, the farmer finds "that
dozen eggs to the finest horse on his farm,
brings him price, when he sells it, from fifty
to two hundred per cent. higher than he ever
dreamed of in Free Trade times, while, SUBJ
stantially every domestic article he buys is
from fifty to two hundred per cent. cheaper,
and at the same time from fifty to five hum
dred per cent better in quality" 1t is hard
for the ordinary man to understand how taxing
an article improves its quality. 1t is still
harder to see how it is possible to buy an
article two hundred per cent. cheaper than the
original cost, unless the seller gives it to you
for nothing, and also the original price in ad-
dition, as bonus for taking it. If this can be
done to-day, the best business for any man to
tfo1oe l,1